Buddleia plant named ‘PPODARAS25’

ABSTRACT

A new cultivar of  Buddleia  plant named ‘PPODARAS25’, that is characterized by its inflorescences with individual flowers that are large in size, its flowers that are bright violet-blue in color, its compact and densely branched plant habit; its growth habit with no dominance leader, and its ability to bloom as a young plant.

Botanical classification: Buddleia hybrid.

Variety denomination: ‘PPODARAS25’.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates to a new and distinct cultivar of Buddleia hybrid and will be referred to hereafter by its cultivar name, ‘PPODARAS25’. ‘PPODARAS25’ is a new shrub grown for use as an ornamental landscape plant.

The new cultivar of Buddleia is a selection from an ongoing breeding program conducted by the Inventor in Davis, Calif. with the objective of creating new cultivars of Buddleia with more floriferous blooming habits, compact plant habits, and larger individual flowers with brighter colors.

The new variety of Buddleia, ‘PPODARAS25’, arose from a cross made in 2014 between an unnamed and unpatented proprietary plant of Buddleia from the Inventor's breeding program as the female parent and pollen that was pooled from a variety of unnamed and unpatented plants from his breeding program as the male parent. ‘PPODARAS25’ was selected from amongst the resulting seedlings as a single unique plant in 2016.

Asexual propagation of the new cultivar was first accomplished by the Inventor using stem cuttings in 2015 in Silverton, Oreg. Asexual propagation by stem cuttings has determined that the characteristics of the new cultivar are stable and are reproduced true to type in successive generations.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The following traits have been repeatedly observed and represent the characteristics of the new cultivar. These attributes in combination distinguish ‘PPODARAS25’ as a unique cultivar of Buddleia.

-   -   1. ‘PPODARAS25’ exhibits inflorescences with individual flowers         that are large in size.     -   2. ‘PPODARAS25’ exhibits flowers that are bright violet-blue in         color.     -   3. ‘PPODARAS25’ exhibits a compact and densely branched plant         habit.     -   4. ‘PPODARAS25’ exhibits a growth habit with no dominance         leader.     -   5. ‘PPODARAS25’ exhibits blooms as a young plant in a 4-inch         container.

The female parent differs from ‘PPODARAS25’ in having flowers that are smaller in size and deep red in color and in having a less vigorous growth habit.

‘PPODARAS25’ can be compared to the Buddleia cultivars ‘Black Knight’ (not patented) and ‘Blue Chip’ (U.S. Plant Pat. No. 19,991). ‘Black Knight’ is similar to ‘PPODARAS25’ in flower color. ‘Black Knight’ differs from ‘PPODARAS25’ in having a larger plant size and habit. ‘Blue Chip’ is similar to ‘PPODARAS25’ in having a compact plant habit. ‘Blue Chip’ differs from ‘PPODARAS25’ in having inflorescences and flowers that are smaller in size and flowers that are more blue in color.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

The accompanying photographs illustrate the characteristics of a 1 year-old plant as grown in Silverton, Oreg.

The photograph in FIG. 1 provides a view of a plant of ‘PPODARAS25’ in bloom.

The photograph in FIG. 2 provides a close-up view of an inflorescence of ‘PPODARAS25’.

The photograph in FIG. 3 provides a close-up view of a branch of ‘PPODARAS25’.

The colors in the photograph may differ slightly from the color values cited in the detailed botanical description, which accurately describe the colors of the new Buddleia.

DETAILED BOTANICAL DESCRIPTION

The following is a detailed description of 1 year-old plants of the new cultivar as field grown outdoors in Silverton, Oreg. The phenotype of the new cultivar may vary with variations in environmental, climatic, and cultural conditions, as it has not been tested under all possible environmental conditions. The color determination is in accordance with The 2001 R.H.S. Colour Chart of The Royal Horticultural Society, London, England, except where general color terms of ordinary dictionary significance are used.

-   General description:     -   -   Blooming period.—Late spring to early summer through fall in             Oregon until temperatures fall below 18.3° C.         -   Plant type.—Deciduous shrub.         -   Plant habit.—Rounded, compact, densely branching and wider             than it is tall.         -   Plant size.—An average of 1.7 m in height and 2 to 3 m in             width for a mature plant when cut back to the soil level in             spring.         -   Hardiness.—At least to U.S.D.A. Zones 8 to 10.         -   Diseases and pests.—No susceptibility and resistance to             diseases and pests has been observed.         -   Root description.—Fibrous and fine, 155D in color.         -   Propagation.—Stem cuttings.         -   Time required for root development.—Roots initiate in an             average of 14 days, a fully rooted plant in a 1.38-L             container is produced in 10 to 12 weeks.         -   Growth rate.—Good vigor with a moderate growth rate. -   Branch description:     -   -   Branch shape.—Square, with raised corners down the length of             the stem.         -   Branch color.—148B on lower branch region without sun             exposure (143C with flocci rubbed off) and 200B on sun             exposed areas (N79B with flocci rubbed off).         -   Branch strength.—Strong and very flexible.         -   Branch size.—15 to 22 cm in length and an average of 3 mm in             diameter (mid point).         -   Branch surface.—Smooth and dense covered with tangled             floccose hairs.         -   Branching.—500 to 700 lateral branches per 167.64 cm plant.         -   Internode length.—5 to 10 cm. -   Foliage description:     -   -   Leaf shape.—Elliptic.         -   Leaf division.—Simple.         -   Leaf base.—Attenuate and very minutely oblique (1 mm).         -   Leaf apex.—Obtuse.         -   Leaf fragrance.—None.         -   Leaf venation.—Brochidodromous with tertiary veins, color;             upper surface 11D, lower surface 194C.         -   Leaf margins.—Serrulate.         -   Leaf arrangement.—Nearly opposite (each pair of leaves is             turned about 15° from previous pair).         -   Leaf attachment.—Petiolate.         -   Leaf surface.—Upper surface; papillate with stellate hairs             and impressed veins and occasional glandular bodies, lower             surface; highly flocculent with stellate hairs and raised             veins.         -   Leaf size.—6 to 8 cm in length and 2.5 to 4 cm in width.         -   Leaf quantity.—An average of 8 to 10 per branch.         -   Leaf color.—Young and mature upper surface; 138C (with             flocci rubbed off 139A), young lower surface; 191D, mature             lower surface; 191B.         -   Petioles.—2 to 3 mm in length and 1 to 2 mm in diameter,             194C in color with surface exposed to direct sun light N79C             in color on outer edges, flocculent surface. -   Inflorescence description:     -   -   Inflorescence type.—Compound terminal panicles roughly             conical in shape.         -   Inflorescence size.—12 to 16 cm in height and an average of             5 cm in diameter at the widest point.         -   Lastingness of flowers.—An average of 9 to 12 days.         -   Flower buds.—Conical in shape, an average of 1 mm in depth             and 5 mm in diameter, 200A in color.         -   Flower aspect.—Outward and upright.         -   Flower fragrance.—Strong and sweet.         -   Flower quantity.—Up to 1,200 flowers per inflorescence.         -   Flower type.—Single and salverform.         -   Flower size.—Up to 5.5 cm in diameter and an average of 4.5             cm in depth.         -   Peduncles.—1.7 to 6 cm in length and 1.5 to 3.5 mm in             diameter, 148B in color (143C with flocci rubbed off),             moderately strong and flexible, surface is smooth with dense             tangled floccose hairs.         -   Pedicels.—0.5 to 2 mm in length and 1 mm in diameter, 194A             in color, moderately strong and very flexible, surface             covered with floccose hairs.         -   Calyx.—Tetragonal in shape.         -   Sepals.—4, occasionally 5, ovate and fused into a             campanulate overall shape, margins mainly entire, dentate             near the base, acute apex with anthocyanin tip, lower ½ to ⅔             fused at base, and average of 4 mm in length and 2 mm in             width, color; upper surface when opening and when fully             open; N138B with 200B at the tip, lower surface when opening             and when fully open 138B, upper surface floccose, lower             surface glandular.         -   Petals.—4 to 5, arrangement in a single whorl and fused into             narrow tube, flabellate in shape, crenate margin, obtuse             apex, an average of 1.4 cm in length and 5 mm in width,             upper and lower surface is papillate and undulate with             stellate hairs at base, color; upper surface when opening             96C, 97C towards the center, N25C at the very base and into             the corolla tube, lower surface when opening 96A, upper             surface when fully open 94B transitioning near margin to 97B             and to N25C at the very base and into the corolla tube,             lower surface when fully open 94A. -   Reproductive organs:     -   -   Gynoecium.—1 pistil, an average of 4.25 mm in length,             stigma; oblong in shape, retuse apex, fused into 2 parts,             148A in color, style; an average of 1 mm in length, square             in shape, and 145B in color, ovary; hypogynous and 139C in             color.         -   Androecium.—Stamens; 4, rarely 5, filament; fused directly             to the base, 161A and 165A in color, anthers; 1.25 mm in             length, 161A and 165A in color, pollen; none produced.         -   Fruit and seed.—Have not been produced to date. 

It is claimed:
 1. A new and distinct cultivar of Buddleia plant named ‘PPODARAS25’ as herein illustrated and described. 